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25/11/2014

The College was presented with the award by political correspondent John Pienaar (pictured right) at the Association of Colleges’ Annual Conference in Birmingham last week.

Forth Valley College received the award because of their approach to leadership and partnerships. The College has developed an effective leadership model that enables the sharing and development of innovative approaches - empowering staff to develop themselves and their teaching in an imaginative way.

The College has forged exceptional partnerships with other educational providers; there is a school links programme which allows pupils to ‘taste’ all possible courses before making a decision. Successful partnerships also exist with universities and local authorities to improve the quality of skill development.

The College has also developed a number of high quality tailored programmes for employers which meet the needs of upskilling the existing workforce. Last year 93% of students progressed to employment or further study.

Dr Ken Thomson, Principal of Forth Valley College, said: “We were honoured to have been short-listed for this esteemed Beacon Award, but to win it is absolutely fantastic and a great endorsement of all the exciting and forward thinking approaches we are taking.”

Charlotte Bosworth, OCR Director of Skills and Employment, said: “We were delighted to sponsor this year’s AoC Award for Innovation in Further Education. It’s great to see innovation being driven throughout the sector to transform the outcome for learners. We’ve seen some great entries this year from colleges that have gone above and beyond to support all types of learner, whilst meeting the demands of employers and enabling progression beyond further education.”

Forth Valley College will host a local celebration event in the New Year and will be presented with its Award by Nick Boles MP, Minister of State for Skills and Equalities at a national presentation ceremony due to be held at Westminster on 4 February 2015.